The High Court Sunday issued a rule on the Election Commission and the Fakhruddin administration to explain why they would not be directed to hold the Jatiya Sangsad election in a "reasonable timeframe".

The High Court also asked the EC and the government to explain why the delay in holding an election in 90 days from the dissolution of parliament would not be declared illegal.

The chief adviser, the Election Commission secretary and the law secretary have been asked to reply to the order in four weeks. Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and justice Shahidul Islam gave the order after hearing a writ petition, filed by barrister Masud Reza Sobhan Thursday.

According to the writ petition, although there is a constitutional obligation to hold an election in 90 days from the dissolution of parliament, the election was deferred in the name of making a new voter list and national ID cards.

The Election Commission has said that elections will be held by the end of the current year after completion of the voter list. "If the voter list is prepared in all areas of the country simultaneously the election can be held earlier," the lawyer said in his appeal.